RAISE VOICE AGAINST THE MISUSE OF POWER IN MAHARASHTRA
STAND WITH Shri. UDDHAV BALASAHEB THACKERAY!

• Who is impacted?

Every Indian who believe in Democracy, who want India to be Democratic country which is slowly moving towards Dictatorship!!!

Facts :

ShivSena - Founded by Late Hon. Balasaheb Thackeray, is a national party having its members elected in Rajya Sabha, Loksabha, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Council too. At a micro level, ShivSena has its presence and elected representatives right from civic level to a gram panchayat level. So, the entire ShivSena which belongs to Hon. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, his elected representatives, various wings of the party working towards the welfare of the society and loyal activists, referred as loyal Shivsainiks are primarily impacted due to such biased decision of the EC.

The nation as a whole is also impacted as the Election Commission has provided a completely biased decision towards the ruling party and democracy is at threat. Also, every party not having enough influence on the Election Commission can lose its name and symbol based on this decision, as the elected representatives can form a majority and claim stake over that party name and symbol.

• What is at stake?

People’s right to choose the party ruling the civic body, the state, the country! Also, the democracy and the future of the citizens is at stake.

With this baseless decision of Election Commission, it is promoting the horse trading of the elected representatives and claiming it to be a legal business. The decision directly states the people's vote is of no importance any more as the party ruling at Centre can make and break government as per its whims and fancies.

Due to the above, the voice of the citizens is suppressed thereby proving the current unannounced dictatorship in the country and democracy killed a thousand deaths after the decision of Election Commission to allow such unconstitutional elected representatives to steal the party name and symbol, despite the original party submitting substantial count of affidavits signed by its members and proving majority. In fact, the party members have only worked hard to get these elected representatives win the election.

After the cheap game of thrones played by the ruling party in Centre and the unconstitutional faction led by Mr. Eknath Shinde with the help of BJP since last year, people have lost the faith in the process of voting as they now know that power hungry politicians can horse trade or poach the elected representatives legally and can form the government. This will further encourage the motives of the ruling party especially at the centre to lead towards official dictatorship and that is severely going to impact the coming generations. There will be more brain-drain i.e. skilled youth leaving the country for a better lifestyle and governance.

• Why is now the time to act?

India will be witnessing the Loksabha Elections next year, several states including Maharashtra have assembly elections lined up this year and next year, several civic bodies including Mumbai and Thane have their elections already due. HENCE, THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE AS CITIZENS SHOULD SPEAK UP, STAND UNITED AND OPPOSE THE MALPRACTICES OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION AND SUCH POWER HUNGRY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES BY SIGNING THIS PETITION.

ShivSena is a large party and if the successor Hon. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, who was elected by the founder of the party, Late Hinduhridaysamrat Shivsenapramukh Balasaheb Thackeray and the elected representatives and senior leaders of the party, doesn't get the name and symbol of the party back, then the voting percentages will be several impacted and there will be no quality left in the elected representatives thereby posing a serious threat to the nation.

• To know the issue, we need to have a glimpse over of ShivSena history:

On 19 June 1966, Shivsenapramukh Shriman Balasaheb Thackeray founded the ShivSena as a political organisation.

The inspiration was his father Prabodhankar Keshav Sitaram Thackeray who was a prominent figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement (United Maharashtra Movement) & a noted social reformer. Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which was at its peak during the 1950’s, demanded the creation of a separate linguistic state of Maharashtra, with Mumbai (then Bombay).

In its early years, the ShivSena was a strong rival of the communist trade union, who before the formation of the ShivSena played an important influence over labour politics in Mumbai. Fact to be noted is, that time The Indian National Congress supported the ShivSena. Shivsenapramukh Balasaheb Thackeray had cordial sound relations across the parties. ShivSena joined hands with Congress even in Balasaheb's tenure. ShivSena was among the few political parties to support the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi ji in 1975. Balasaheb Thackeray said the move was in the interest of the country and keeping the interest of the country at priority Uddhav Thackeray ji also joined hands with Congress. Even in 1980, the Congress again received the ShivSena’s help in the Assembly elections as a result of the personal bond between Thackeray and senior Congress leader Abdul Rehman Antulay, the then chief minister. Even after alliance, in 2007, ShivSena went against the BJP by supporting the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) candidate, Pratibha Patil ji, in the presidential election. 

Over the last six decades, ShivSena grew from a movement into a properly organised political party and a major political force in Maharashtra.

ShivSena was founded by Hinduhridaysamrat Shivsenapramukh Balasaheb Thackeray & grew the lakhs of loyal Shivsainiks who have nurtured the idea of the ShivSena with dedicated efforts, who look towards Thackeray as deity, 'Matoshree', Thackeray's residence, as their place of worship. Loyal Shivsainiks stand with Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray firmly!!! Lakhs of Pratidnyapatre were submitted by Uddhav Thackeray ji in EC very recently, which were sadly simply ignored by EC!

In Samyukta Maharashtra Movement no. of Shivsainiks sacrificed their lives. Shivsainiks, party volunteers, treat the words of Thackeray as final verdict commonly referred as 'Aadesh'.

ShivSena entered in alliance with BJP in 1995. 1966 to 1995 i. e. almost 3 decades ShivSena was not related to BJP or it's ideological parent RSS.

BJP entered in Maharashtra due to support of ShivSena. But slowly they tried to control ShivSena which was not acceptable for Shivsenapramukh Balasaheb Thackeray ji. The clashes were clear in his tenure too. Balasaheb usually used to call BJP 'Kamalabai'. In public interview to a reputed news channel, when the interviewer asked Balasaheb, if he is Close to BJP, he said CLOSE means proximity and CLOSE means to close the doors too, which clearly meant he had mindset to close the doors for BJP.

Mr. Shinde is claiming that ShivSena belongs to him based on the elected representatives. But do these representatives means party? They got the ticket due to Mr. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s faith on them and were elected due to the efforts of loyal Shivsainiks. 

Shivsenapramukh Balasaheb Thackeray with the consent of party office bearers and shivsainiks, clearly handed over the party functioning & decision making rights to his son Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. His wish & intent was loud and clear!! In his public address he appealed Shivsainiks to stay with Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray forever! How that can be overlooked?

The Election Commission's decision is a bigger victory for the BJP than it might seem for the Shinde faction. With its ambitions to control the state and the country's richest civic body, the BJP has long been waiting for this moment of flux within the ShivSena and Shinde is just a puppet acting as per the directions given by BJP.

Apparently, BJP unethically captured Maharashtra and ShivSena with money, muscle power backed with central agencies like ED, CBI, IT, EC. It's crystal clear that many MLAs / MPs joined the Shinde faction due to the recent past ED raids and clearer as the entry resulted in closure / stay on the cases going against them.

If today we won't raise voice and compel them to revoke the decision, BJP WILL GO ON WITH THIS MODUS OPERANDI PAN INDIA TO HIJACK THE OPPOSITION PARTIES, FINALLY DEPRVING PEOPLE TO ELECT THE PARTY OF THEIR CHOICE WHICH IS BASIC RIGHT CONFERRED TO US BY DEMOCRACY, BY THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA!!! No matter which party you vote for, they will take over the party & keep the ruling power with them!!!

IT'S NOW OR NEVER!!!